Pakistan set England a challenging target of 297 runs to win the second Test. After posting 221 runs in their second innings, Pakistan reduced England to 36/2, putting themselves in a strong position to level the series.
Pakistan vs England's 2nd Test perfectly poised
Salman Agha played a crucial role in Pakistan's innings, scoring a quickfire 63 despite dropping two catches early in his innings. England's batters struggled against the spin-friendly pitch, with Ollie Pope (21) and Joe Root (12) being the top scorers for the visitors. England will need a significant effort from their remaining batters to salvage the match.
It all started with Pakistan notching 366 runs in their first essay and then bowling out England for 291 runs and establishing a 75-run lead. Sajid Khan was the star performer for Pakistan, claiming seven wickets with impressive figures of 7-111.
England, resuming their innings from 239-6, lost their last four wickets quickly in the first hour of play. Noman Ali claimed the remaining three wickets as Pakistan's spin-heavy attack dominated the English batters.
Recognising the spin-friendly nature of the pitch, England captain Ben Stokes opted to start with spin from both ends, employing off-spinner Shoaib Bashir and left-arm spinner Jack Leach.
England continued their dominance in the second Test, with their spin bowlers proving effective against the Pakistani batsmen. Captain Ben Stokes persisted with spin bowling, even when Jack Leach needed a rest, turning to part-time off-spinner Joe Root.
Shoaib Bashir made an early breakthrough, dismissing Abdullah Shafique caught behind for four. Pakistan captain Shan Masood was the next to fall, edging a ball to Ollie Pope at slip. Saim Ayub, who had looked comfortable, was also dismissed by the Pope-Bashir combination. Kamran Ghulam, who had impressed in the first innings, was trapped lbw by Leach.
England off to shaky start while chasing 297-run target
Pakistan staged a strong comeback after a shaky start, with Salman Agha playing a crucial role. Despite being dropped twice by Jamie Smith and Joe Root, Salman capitalised on the opportunity, scoring a quickfire 63 runs. He formed a valuable partnership with Sajid Khan, adding 65 runs for the ninth wicket.
England's chase got off to a poor start, with Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley dismissed early. Duckett was out for a two-ball duck, while Crawley was stumped by a clever delivery from Noman Ali. However, Joe Root showed intent with a boundary off the last ball of the day, indicating England's determination to fight back.
